Charlotte potatoes are the most popular variety used for salad potatoes in the UK. This is because of their long shape with firm/waxy flesh and obviously their taste! Their cooking qualities are excellent making them great for boiling and mashing, and as a salad potato delicious hot or cold – no wonder this has an RHS award of garden merit!

Second early potatoes take a little longer to mature than the first earlies at 110 – 120 days. Like first earlies these are often enjoyed as new potatoes because of their thin skins and most varieties are best eaten as soon as they are harvested.

Our 2kg pack contains between 20 to 25 tubers graded 35 to 60 mm.

Here is an idea for the planting and harvesting times for our second early variety’s

Planting

Harvesting

Early February to March

Early June*

Normal April

Normal July to August

* remember harvesting early could lead to smaller potatoes and low yields

When you receive your seed potatoes if they are not ready for planting (follow the planting table displayed in each variety) make sure you store these in a cool, dry place, with no direct sunlight, until it is time to plant.

It’s good practice, especially with First earlies and maincrop, to ‘chit’ the seed potatoes before planting out. A few empty egg boxes are the perfect way to do this. Stand them rose end up where the most dents in the skin are and pop them in a frost-free place with direct sunlight to allow the shoots to start growing. When these reach about 3cm (1ins) they are ready to plant. Find the strongest chits on the potato – around three or four and rub the rest off before planting.